A New Life In The Fire Nation
by BluePup89
Summary: "During a raid on her village, both Katara's mother and farther are taken along with her brother, Sokka; and the rest of the village are just killed off by the Fire Nation. Now all alone, Katara just sits in the blood stained snow, hoping someone will take pity on her." - Rated T, (reasons are inside). Future Zutara. Feedback is welcome! Ch. 2 is now extended! Details inside. AU.
1. Prologue: They're Coming!

A/N: Hello everyone! This is my first story on here and for some reason I'm a little nervous about posting it; I don't know why... maybe because it's my first fanfic. Well then, I think this idea first came to me a few years ago, but I never really got around to writing it... but now I have. (Well, the first couple of chapters anyway), and chapter one and two will be up very soon. But until then, here's the prologue for you.

Summary: "During a raid on her village, both Katara's mother and farther are taken along with her big brother, Sokka; and the rest of the village are just killed off by the Fire Nation. Now all alone, Katara just sits in the blood stained snow, hoping someone will take pity on her." - Rated T, (reasons are inside). Future Zutara. Feedback is welcome! Ch. 2 is being extended! Details inside.

Rated T: (PG: 16): for character deaths, violence and very dark themes. The rating may go up in later chapters. (M: PG 17 - Mature).

Almost forgot! - Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender, and sadly nor do I own any of its amazing characters. :'( *Cries...*

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A New Life In The Fire Nation.  
_Written by ~ BluePup89_

Prologue: They're Coming!

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If they only knew what was about to happen. Katara was just playing happily in the snow with her older brother, Sokka. Both their mother and father were just watching them up from the snow bank. Smiling happily. Even with the war raging on across the sea, their lives still seemed to be going well for the time being. It was a shame that they didn't know that the war was heading there way... and fast.

"Katara! That's not fair... you're cheating!" Sokka whined.

"No I'm not!" Katara giggled at her brother's annoyance. "Daddy! Come and play with us!" Katara shouted up at her father. Her young voice sounded so sweet and innocent. This caused Hakoda to smile back down at his daughter. He knew he shouldn't, he had a meeting in five minutes, but he did anyway. Hakoda ran down the slope and scoped up both his children at once. He pretend that his children were over powering him and they all fell to the ground in a fit of giggles and laugher.

Their mother just smiled down at her family. They were happy.

It was a shame that this happiness was about to end. The Fire Nation was coming... and they planned to leave no survivors.

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"Sir? We are all set. We're a day away from the Southern Water Tribe."

"Good, make sure all the men are armoured up and ready to be deployed." The guard just nodded at his commander and without say another word he left, leaving his commander to his own company.

Zhao just glared down at the map that lay on the table in front of him. He knew this was wrong, but he didn't care. If he had to be the one to bring glory to the almighty Fire Nation, then so be it. He would be the one to bring the Southern Water Tribe down to its knees. He smiled darkly and looked back up at the horizon.

They didn't know the Fire Nation was coming for them. There would be no misery; every last person of the Southern Water Tribe had to die, so that Zhao could have it all. He didn't care. But unknown to him, there was someone who did cared. He just didn't know it yet.

"Helmsman! Faster. We need to get there before the full moon. Tell the captain to speed it up!" Zhao screamed loudly at the man above him.

"Yes Sir!" He shouted back down. The ship seemed to speed up and the destruction of the Southern Water Tribe became ever closer.

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A/N: The only reason it's very short is because it's the prologue and it is an introduction to the story. The next chapter (the first chapter) will be much longer. I promise! I hope you enjoyed and feedback is most welcome!

Thank you guys!

BluePup89 x :)


	2. Chapter One: Destruction: Part One

A/N: Hello everyone once again, I have to say, this took me a long time to write... I think it was about four hours all together. (That dose include the time it took me to spell and grammar check the whole thing). This is quite a long first chapter... (It's the first because the last one was the prologue). Well, I would just like to thank the three people that reviewed and all the other people for following and favouring my first story.

You should all know the summary by now. I have already put the disclaimer in the prologue chapter, so I will not be putting it up again until the last chapter. (I don't know when that will be), and don't ask, it's just a little something _I _do. (The summary will be put up in every chapter and so will the rate warnings).

Once again, here it is: (Please note: It has been changed a few times).

Summary: "During a raid on her village, both Katara's mother and farther are taken along with her big brother, Sokka; and the rest of the village are just killed off by the Fire Nation. Now all alone, Katara just sits in the blood stained snow, hoping someone will take pity on her." - Rated T, (reasons are inside). Future Zutara. Feedback is welcome! Ch. 2 is being extended! Details inside.

Rated T: (PG: 16): for character deaths, violence and very dark themes. The rating may go up in later chapters. (M: PG 17 - Mature).

Alright then, here's chapter one for you... I hope you enjoy the chapter! Oh, and please R&R? - Thanks!

Updated A/N: Please Read!

This chapter has been made longer, if you have already read this chapter then please continue reading passed the first "o0o~o0o~o0o~o0o" I am sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused anyone. However, this chapter is still going to be split into two parts. There is a good reason for this, but after some advice I have decided to make this chapter longer. This chapter has also been grammar checked and spell checked for a second time, and just to let you know this is the last long author's note you will ever see.

Thank you for your understanding and once again I am sorry for the very long author's note... it won't happen again. I promise.

BluePup89 x :)

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A New Life In The Fire Nation.  
_Written by ~ BluePup89_

Chapter One: The Destruction of Half a Nation: Part One.

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It was a shame. The Fire Nation was now on their doorstep and they didn't even know it. In a few hours the men and women of the Southern Water Tribe would be fighting for their lives... they would be fighting for their children.

"Katara. Come and finish your chores! You can play more tomorrow." Her Grandmother called.

"But Gran-Gran..."

"No buts, Katara! You need to learn how to be a good wife and mother to your husband and children." Katara sighed sadly. She knew she had no choice in the matter. Her mother had always told her.

_"Always respect your elders... no matter how much you disagree." _

Katara just dropped the snow ball back down onto the floor and walked over to her grandmother. Her disappointed eyes didn't have any effect on her stern grandmother; Katara just levelled her blue eyes back down to the snow covered ground. She knew it wasn't going to work.

So she just gave in. "Yes Gran-Gran."

Katara followed her grandmother to their little home near the south wall. Their tribe was really nothing but four walls and a few tents. There were two small defence walls that her father had built but now they were a crumbling disaster. No matter how many times they rebuilt them they would only last for a couple of months. Now they were too dangerous to even stand on. Hakoda just hadn't gotten around to re-building them yet.

The Fire Nation had taken a lot from these people in the last hundred years. From the murder of nearly every water bender that ever lived in these lands to the destruction of nearly ninety percent of their little world. There was nothing left worth talking about anymore. It was as if the village was a lone white wolf in the middle of a thousand sheep or a small needle in a huge haystack. Either way, it was nothing like its former self. All because of the Fire Nation and it was all about to happen again... and for the very last time.

"Right Katara, the first thing you need to do-" Her grandmother couldn't finish. Because the iced ground began to shake violently. This caused Katara to run outside. The sound had made her jump out of her skin, but she wanted to know what was going on.

"Katara!" She heard Khana shout from behind her, Katara however just ignored her. She was scared, but she was much more curious.

Then she heard someone running towards her. "The Fire Nation. The Fire Nation are here to kill us all." The woman screamed as she ran passed her. Blood was pouring from her arm and she was losing a lot of it.

Katara's eyes winded. "Mama!" She shouted. She ran towards the main tent. "Mama!" Her eyes were filled with tears. She was so scared. Some kind of noise made her look to the sky, rocks, they were huge... and they were on fire? Katara screamed as one of them landed near her. The exploding snow came towards her. The heat caused her to close her eyes tight. She could feel it on her cold skin. Katara screamed again, falling to the ground.

"Katara!" Her father came running over to her. Picking her up, he carried her over to the "safe house", it was only a huge iced house. It wasn't designed to take too much heat. But what else could they do? It was all they had.

"Dad! I don't understand. What going on?" Katara began to cry. She looked passed her father. The shaking had stopped and there were strange men coming into the village. "Dad!" She began to cry harder. "Who are those men?" She pointed in the direction of the Fire benders that were now stepping into their home. The fighting had already begun.

Katara didn't understand. She was just a child. But that didn't matter to the Fire Nation, they were here to kill every single last person, child or not. There were already bodies laying in the now blood stained snow. So many bodies. Katara shaking eyes didn't want to look, but she couldn't look away.

"Katara listen to me," Katara looked back up at her father. "No matter what happens today... your mother and I will always love you."

"You're leaving!" Katara shouted at her father. His eyes winded at his daughters sudden outburst. He shook his head sadly.

"No, Katara... no. Just go inside and don't come out until someone comes and gets you. Do you understand?" Katara just nodded and hugged her father. But what she didn't know was... no one would come for her. No one would be able too. They would either be dead or taken far away.

"But where's mother?" Katara asked.

"I don't know, love. But I'll go and find her and your brother... Just go inside the safe house." She nodded again. Her father kissed her on the forehead before running towards the main tent. Katara quickly crawled into the safe house and curled up into a small ball, waiting for the horrible noises and screams to stop...

Would they ever stop?! Katara began to cry, small tears made their way down her tanned skin. She brought her knees up and put her head close to them. Her eyes levelled up to the top of the safe house. The noises were getting louder and the room started to shake from the tremors outside. There was a loud crash and it made the room shake even more violently than before, the noise it caused echoed off the walls of the iced igloo. Katara screamed and closed her eyes tightly. She just wanted it all to stop! Katara wanted someone to be here with her. But it the minutes that followed the sound outside seemed to dim. It was still there. But it had seemed to have moved away. Until she heard a woman's scream from outside. It was so high pitch it hurt Katara's ear. This place was far from sound proof and all of a sudden the fighting seemed to come back in her direction.

She could hear the woman begging for someone to help her. But after a loud crash and another horrible scream the begging stop and all went quite once again. Katara just sat alone; waiting for someone to come for her.

It was a shame no one would be able too.

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Hours had now passed since Katara's father had left her. She was still curled up in the corner, still waiting; still wandering where everyone had gone. Katara knew she had fallen asleep at some point because the noise outside had stopped and the dreadful silence was now getting to her. But after a short while she could hear the ghostly wind outside and every so often she would hear what sounded like the cracking of unstable ice falling down, but still she stayed where she was. She would wait for her dad to come back for her. Just like he told her too.

Katara gave a little sigh as she forced herself into an upright position. Both of her legs were stiff and she had been laying uncomfortably on her back, this made it ache in one or two places. Katara looked around the small room; there was no one else here. However, Katara knew somebody must have tried to get in because around the small entrance laid a body, blood covered both the man himself and the floor and walls around him. From what Katara was seeing it looked like he had been shot in the back by an arrow. He was laying on his front and his arms were reaching out. It seemed he had been too big for the entrance; and he had gotten himself stuck. Katara began to wonder how he had gotten so far with an arrow sticking out of him. It must have been a very painful experience. The man's head was on its side and as Katara looked at him; she noticed he looked young, very young. He looked more like a teenager than anything else.

Katara could tell that he didn't want to die. If she had noticed she would have given him a chance, because she thought that he wouldn't have hurt her. But nobody would have thought of that. They had killed him without a second thought of who he was. To them he was just a Fire bender. Nothing else. Teenager or not, he was considered a monster. However, on the other hand... if he didn't kill, or didn't follow orders he would be considered a traitor to his own Nation. So either way he wouldn't have survived today. Coming here was a death sentence. Especially for someone that looked too young to have even finished their training. Just by looking at him Katara knew he had died in pain... even as a child she could tell this by little bit of life in his dying eyes.

Without thinking Katara crawled forwards and closed his eyes. He was gone and without even knowing it, he might have even stopped the Fire bender's from being able to get in here. Maybe he was her hero... it was just too bad that he had to die earlier than he should of.

"Sorry," was all Katara said. Her little voice still echoed off the ice walls. She didn't feel much for him. But her young, inexperienced mind felt a lot of pity for the man. His family back home may have just lost a son, or a brother... or maybe even a father; an uncle? Katara didn't know. She got on her knees and she prayed for the man that lay dead in front of her. She was too young to know he was the enemy. Or that he might of meant her harm. She didn't understand why these men that came to her village did what they did. She wouldn't have know all of this because she didn't know about the Hundred Year War.

Children under the age of ten weren't allowed to know about the war. This custom was held in every Nation. Even in the Fire Nation. Katara was a seven year old girl, and she didn't know that the man she prayed for might have been reasonable for the deaths of anyone here. She just thought she would do one kind thing for a stranger. Her mother had always told her to be kind and thoughtful, and that there was nothing wrong with it. It wasn't her fault that she was praying for the enemy. Her father should have told her sooner. It might have not been allowed, but he still should have done it. If she didn't know the enemy. How could she of known who to be careful with? She could have walked right into the hands of the enemy today and she wouldn't even have know it.

Katara just knelt there for a while. Even thought she didn't know about the war. She still knew that this man was a Fire bender. Katara had been taught about the Fire Nation and knew their customs well. She didn't know why she had to learn them... all they had told her was it was for a higher purpose.

In other words, when they did finally tell her about the war, it would be easier for her to understand and she would be able to spot a Fire bender when she finally saw one. But now, in Katara's case, it was too late for that. But if this had happened later on in her life... She would have known that the man she was praying for was her enemy and she would have never have done it.

But now after such a short space of time being with this man, a question played on her young mind.

_Why would you attack us? You look so young..._

She didn't know what to think of it all. She thought her mind was asking questions that it wasn't to understand... questions that she shouldn't know the answers too. Katara really didn't want to know right at that moment. That was her view on this whole mess. She was too young to know anything better than that. But she knew she would soon have to go outside. Even though her father told her not too, But Katara just had this strange feeling that she would have to do it on her own...

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"Commander!" The Fire Nation solider running towards him shouted. He said it again. "Commander!" This time the annoyance of this made Zhao turn around. He didn't have time for this. He was a higher rank than anyone else here and he would not have this... annoying feeling that this was going to be happing all night. "Sir?" The solider said as he reached his commander officer. Zhao just glared at him, but was also curios to find out why he had a worried look on his young face.

"What is it this time?!" He asked with a hushed tone. He didn't want everyone to hear what was going on.

"We have lost just over sixty men, Sir. The warriors here did put up a fight... we have caught their leader and his family. However, one of his children is not yet accounted for. We assume she must have been killed and her body not yet found, Sir." Zhao thought about the situation he was in for a second. After what seemed like a life time for the poor solider; Zhao finally had a response for the freezing man.

"Bring him and his family to me, I want to have a word with them." He said almost proudly. The solider bowed and was just about to leave to follow out his orders. But Zhao stopped him with another question. "Is there anything else I should know?" The young man looked at him, but soon remember what he was supposed to have said to his commanding officer.

"Oh, yes!" He stood up straight. "The Head General is on his way..." Zhao's eyes went wide.

"What?! Why?" He almost snapped. By now his crew were used to his sudden mood swings. So the sudden snap of his loud voice didn't make the solider jump.

"Sorry, Sir. I don't know. All the message said was that he wanted to have a word with you. He should be here within a day, Sir."

"Alright! Go and follow out the order I just gave you and send a group of soldiers back to the village to try and find this girl. She has to be there somewhere."

"Yes Sir." The solider turned on his heals and left. Once again leaving Zhao to his own worried thoughts.

"Damn it!" He cursed. "This was going so well and now he's coming! That bastard won't ruin it all this time! I won't let him..." He muttered to himself before going back to the map table. Then a plan hit him... he would have to kill the Head General.

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A/N: Well? Longer right? Ha. Took me two and a half hours to write the extra part... oh and like I said: this is still a two part chapter. The second part will be even longer than this and with NOT such a long author's note. I'm sorry about that, but how else was I supposed to get the information across to you guys? Huh, oh well. It won't happen again.

So, once again. Until next time my lovely people. The next part should up very soon, but please bear in mind that I have work to go to. Yeah, I might have finshed school... but now I have work! -_-

Thanks Ok then, byzz now!

BluePup89 x :)


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